Chapter 1 Despair

"Your sister is in the late stages of lymphoma. Be ready with 7,500 for chemotherapy tomorrow, or you might as well take her home to prepare for the funeral." The doctor's words pierced Dwayne Shaw's heart like needles. He collapsed helplessly to the floor, clutching four coins—his last four dollars. Crying would have been a relief, but despair had left him numb. Orphaned from a young age, his older sister, Claire Shaw, was his only family. To support his studies, Claire had sacrificed her own education and moved to the city to work. Last year, she fainted from overwork and was taken to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with lymphoma. As the saying went, "Misfortunes never come singly." Soon after her diagnosis, Dwayne was assaulted and suffered a comminuted fracture in his right hand. Though he eventually recovered, the injury left him with permanent damage. He could barely even hold a fork. Since then, he had faced discrimination at every turn, and no one would hire him, not even for the most menial jobs. Eventually, someone offered him a deal to marry into the Lynn family as a live-in son-in-law for a year. The Lynns were said to be dealing with misfortune and needed a marriage to ward off bad luck. Dwayne's birth chart was considered exceptionally auspicious, making him the perfect match. But the Lynns treated him with contempt, and the 75,000 he had earned from swallowing his pride was quickly drained by Claire's medical bills. The unending expenses weighed on him like a crushing burden, leaving him gasping for air. Recently, he turned to a loan shark to scrape together some money. Yet, before he could even catch his breath, he needed another 7,500. He was at the end of his rope, with no way to raise more money, but Claire's illness was a direct result of her sacrifices for him. He couldn't just stand by and let her suffer. Clenching his fist, Dwayne felt his weakened right hand tremble as he tried to summon strength. "7,500… " he muttered. "Even if it costs me my life, I'll find a way to get it!" Dwayne spent three dollars on a bottle of milk at the convenience store and asked a nurse to take it to Claire. With his last dollar, he took a bus to meet the last person he wanted to see: Xavier Wells, his former college roommate and business partner. Back then, Dwayne had been accepted into a top-tier university and received a special scholarship in his first year. With this initial capital, he co-founded a company with Xavier. After three years, the company had grown significantly. Later, needing to take care of Claire, Dwayne handed over the reins to Xavier, who unexpectedly colluded with others to sideline Dwayne and force him out of the company. When Dwayne confronted him, Xavier's henchmen ambushed and beat him in the office. It was Xavier himself who had crushed Dwayne's right hand with a metal rod, leaving it crippled. If Dwayne had any other choice, he would never have stooped so low as to ask Xavier for money. But he had no choice. He had to save Claire! Even if it meant breaking his other hand, he was determined to borrow that 7,500. Just then, an old man boarded the bus, leaning on a cane and walking unsteadily. The bus was crowded, but no one offered him a seat. Without hesitation, Dwayne stood up and gave his seat to the old man. The bus lurched forward suddenly, and Dwayne instinctively grabbed the nearest handrail with his right hand, though his weakened grip nearly caused him to fall. "Your hand is injured, yet you're giving up your seat to an old man like me?" the old man asked, his sharp eyes noticing. Dwayne paused, then smiled. "It's nothing serious." He switched hands to steady himself. "A kind soul," the old man remarked with appreciation. Dwayne just smiled, staying silent as he gazed out the window, his heart weighed down with worry. Half an hour later, Dwayne stood at the company entrance. Under the blazing sun, he hesitated for a few moments before finally going inside. The office was packed with two or three dozen people making calls, their voices laced with coarse language, and the air thick with the pungent smell of cigarettes. As soon as Dwayne stepped in, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned toward him. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Shaw. What brings you here?" sneered a tall, skinny man with slicked-back blond hair, blowing a puff of smoke in Dwayne's face. This was Lester Campos, one of Xavier's lackeys. Dwayne replied calmly, "I want to see Xavier." "Take it easy. Let me introduce you to everyone first." Lester wrapped an arm around Dwayne's neck and called out loudly, "Hey, everyone, check it out! This is our company's former boss, Dwayne Shaw, who made headlines a few months ago as the Lynns' live-in son-in-law." "You, a live-in son-in-law, spend your days washing a woman's feet, cooking, and scrubbing toilets. You're worse than a maid. Do you even call yourself a man? Is what's in your pants fake?" "Lester, don't make a scene," Dwayne retorted. "Oh, look who's got some nerve now! So, what do you want?" Lester sneered. Dwayne swallowed his pride and muttered, "I'm here to borrow money." "What did you say?" Lester clearly heard him but leaned in, pretending he hadn't. "Say it louder. What do you need?" The stench of smoke wafting from Lester's breath made Dwayne feel nauseous. Gritting his teeth, he forced out each word. "I need to borrow money." "You're here to borrow money?" Lester shouted theatrically. "You're the Lynns' son-in-law, playing houseboy and living off them, yet you're still short on cash?" "My sister is seriously ill. She needs 7,500 for treatment," Dwayne replied, his voice restrained. Lester grabbed Dwayne's weakened right hand, his eyes filled with mockery. "You? A cripple? Nobody would even hire you to scrub their toilets. How exactly are you going to pay back 7,500?" "It's life and death. I really need this money," Dwayne pleaded. "Your sister's life, not mine," Lester scoffed, spitting in Dwayne's face. "You still think you're some big shot? You're just a crippled mutt now. Borrow money? Dream on!"